Lock device



May 13, 1952 e. w. WILL LOCK DEVICE Filed Aug. 7, 1947 INVENTOR.

GEORGE WILLJAM \Nhl.

Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES LQQ DE IQE Q er cwil amV L-QledarigQb e emriicatiengiu usii FiLS Q1NW %93. 1 Claim. (01. 70--..239)

My invention relates to lock devices generally, and more particularly toa lock device for an outboard motor.

Anobject of my invention is to provide means to deter the removal of anoutboard motorfrom a boat.-

Another'object of my invention is to lock an outboard motoragainstremoval from a'boat by locking the mounting screwsof the motoragainst rotation.;

Still another object of 1 my inventionis to prevent; relative adjustmentbetween a threaded bodyand. threaded stud by vibration.

Yet another object of my invention is-to prevent accidental loss of anoutboard motor-by looseningof the holding screws or the-outboard motor,

Other objects and a fullerunderstanding of my invention may be had byreferring to the following description andclaims, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure I is the'cross sectional view through a boat looking towards therear of the boat toward a conventional outboard'motor, and illustratingmy improved lock device;

Figure 2 is an exploded erspective view of my improved look asillustrated in use in the Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the lock body assembled with thestud of an adjustable locking member and locking plate, the location ofthe sections of'the componentparts being indicated by the lines 33inithe-explodediperspective view ofFignre 2: and

Figure 4 is an alternate type turn lockwhich may be used in place of theflexible turn lock illustrated in the Figure 1.

Substantially all outboardmotors are equipped with a mounting bracket H)which is adapted to hook overthe back-board of a small boat. Thisbracket is tightly secured to the boat by means of suitable wingedtightening bolts ll having winged finger grip ears I 2. Thus, the motormay be quickly and easily mounted upon the boat or removed from the boatby tightening and loosening the winged bolts II. The motor would be verydifficult to remove from the boat, of course, if it were impossible toturn the winged bolts ll after they were once tightly screwed down toclamp the bracket l onto the back of the boat. Therefore, I haveprovided my improved lock member which may be placed between the boltsII and prevent turning the bolts l l and thereby prevent releasing thebracket [0 from the boat.

In llhdFlgllIQ 2-01? the drawing myimpro-ved lockingmeans is illustratedin larger perspective detail; It will be seen that my lock compr-isesalockbody portion IS; an interference locking member I4 having a prongportion l5 anda. threaded stud l6; and a second interference lockingmember l1 having a prongportion l8 and asmooth stud I9. A longitudinalopening 20 extends the full length of -the body l3, in the preferredembodiment ofmy-invention. In actual practice, I thread the opening-ZO-fromend to; end, although actuallyan amount of thread equal to thelength or the stud-16- is" all that is reoui-red; -As illustrated-intheFigure 2; the stud i6 "is threaded; to match the threads in theopening20,;but the stud l-9 is smooth and-is dimen' sioned -to fitsnugly buteasily within the opening 20. Therefore, it will beseenthatthe body l3 and-the stud -l 6-may be rotated relative to oneanother-and thereby adjust the'distance between the prong portion l5 andthe prongportion iii.

Bv threading the stud l 8- well into the opening 20, thelock device maybe inserted betweenthe winged bolts I! on the bracket in and the body l3-may thereafter be rotated to increase the distance between the prongportions l4 and I1, and thereby extend to grip the winged bolts l I. Inthepreferred embodiment illustrated, the prong portion I4 is providedwith a gripping slot 2l, and the prong portion, l 1' is provided with. agripping slot 22. By rotating the body I3, the slots 2,] and 22 willbe,moved around the threaded portion of the; winged bolts II, andthelwin gs 12 of the bolts will be tightlyugrippedand prevented frombeing further adjusted to remove the bracket H1 fromthe boat. Thus, anyperson attemptingto remove the motor will be confronted wi h e sk of fiem ingt l k: e ice,-

Such del y wil i cou a motor heft b ause of the delay involved, and thenoisezresultant from attempting. to remove thelcek without a key.

In order to prevent an unauthorized person from reversing the directionof rotation of the body l3 and removing the look from the winged boltsII, and also to prevent vibration of the boat during use from vibratingthe body l3 in a reverse direction and allow the lock member to becomeloose, I haveprovided means to lock the body against rotation relativeto the stud l8. As illustrated in the Figure 2, and also shown in theFigure 3, the stud I6 is provided with flat sides 23. A look slot 24extends through the body [3 in such a manner that an object passingthrough the slot 24 will pass through an edge of the opening 20. By thismeans, the body 13 may be adjusted relative to the stud I6, and placedin the relative position illustrated in the Figure 3. That is, the bodyI3 is adjusted to present a flat side 23 to the slot area 24 within theopening 20. Thereafter, a lock strip 25 may be inserted through theopening 24 to block oif a portion of the opening 20, and thereforefurther rotation of the stud I 6 will be impossible.

To complete the locking structure, I have provided an opening 28 throughthe end of the strip 25 to receive the hasp of a conventional pad-lock27. With the hasp of the lock 2'? through the opening 26, the lock strip25 cannot be withdrawn through the opening 24. Also, the lock strip 25is provided with a depending portion 28 which will prevent the strip 25from being withdrawn through the slot 24. By this provision ofinterlocking surfaces between the stud I6 and strip 25 within the bodyI3, I have provided a lock which is simple to construct and positive inits locking action in prevent unauthorized removal, and to preventaccidental removal by vibration.

Although this lock structure 1. particularly adaptable for locking anoutboard motor on a boat, it is useful for other applications, such, forexample, as turnbuckle construction, to prevent loosening of theturnbuckle by vibration.

Outboard motors are generally provided with a handle for guiding. In theFigure 1 of the drawing, I illustrate an outboard motor of the typehaving a foldable handle 39. The handle 30, in this type motor, folds upin an out-of-theway position when not in use. The handle 30 is placed inconjunction with the motor in such a manner that the handle extends outat an angle relative to the forward motion of the boat when the motor isdriving the boat straight forward. Thus, the operator can sit to oneside of the motor and reach out with either arm in a comfortable mannerto grasp the handle 33. Therefore, when the handle 30 is moved to astraight forward position along the longitudinal axis of the boat asillustrated in the Figure 1, the driving propeller 3| will be turnedsharply and will drive the boat in a tight circle.

Therefore, I have provided turn locking means to prevent an unauthorizedperson from starting the motor and taking both the boat and the motor,rather than simply removing the motor from the boat. In the Figure 1, Iillustrate this additional locking means as a flexible wire coil 32. Thewire coil 32 is provided with loop ends 33 which are therefore adaptedto be secured by the lock 21. As illustrated in the Figure 1, the wireloop 32 will hold the handle 32 and prevent the motor from being movedout of its turn position. Therefore the boat cannot be driven away underits own power.

In the Figure 4 of the drawing I illustrate an alternate type lock toprevent turning of the motor to steer the boat. In this modification, asolid piece of strap iron is bent into the form of a hook, and isprovided at the lower end thereof with a slot 34. The slot 34 is adaptedto receive the end of the lock strip 25 therethrough, and is therebyheld in place by the lock 21. I find either the wire loop 33 or thesolid hook 35 to be entirely satisfactory for use with my lock device toprevent free steering movement of an outboard motor.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree ofparticularity in its preferred form, it is understood that the presentdisclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of exampleand that numerous changes in the details of construction and thecombination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

What is claimed is:

A. lock for an outboard motor having spaced mounting screw means withengagement portions, comprising a lock body portion having a threadedopening, a first locking member having a prong portion and a studportion, said stud portion having threads thereon to threadably engagesaid threaded opening of the lock body, said prong portion being adaptedto engage the engagement portion of one mounting screw means in aninterfittin manner to prevent rotation of the screw means, said bodyhaving a lock slot intersecting said threaded opening, said stud portionof the first locking member having a lock engagement surface, and lockstrip means adapted to extend through said lock slot and engage saidlock engagement surface to hold said first locking memher and bodyportion against relative rotation, a second locking member carried bysaid body and adapted to engage the engagement portion of anothermounting screw means in an interfitting manner to prevent rotation ofthe screw means, said body being rotatable relative to said threadedstud of the first locking member to thereby force said first and secondlocking members apart and into tight engagement with said spacedmounting screw means, and being lockable by said lock strip againstreversal to release the mounting screw means.

GEORGE WILLIAM WILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file ofthis patent:

Binz Aug. 16, 1949

